An Examination of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

A Defense of Christ’s Resurrection – Part 1

“Only one conclusion is justified by the evidence: Jesus is dead” - Atheist Richard Carrier

The Facts of The Resurrection

Application of Minimal facts approach 1.Strong historical evidence supporting the claim 2.Vast majority of scholars agree on the claim Scholarly Historical analysis uses three criteria to support the above: 1.Relevant sources 2.Responsible method 3.Restrained results

The Undisputed Facts of the Resurrection 1.Jesus was murdered and buried 2.Three days afterward, His body went missing 3.There were appearances of Jesus over the course of 40 days to various people, including His disciples and unbelievers 4.Christ’s appearance transformed His followers and some previous skeptics, and became the central focus of their teaching

Appeal to the Best Explanation Sometimes called the ‘cumulative case method’ or ‘abductive argumentation’, it is an explanatory hypothesis that best accounts for a wide range of facts about a particular event or act.

Evidence for The Resurrection

“If one had any real evidence that, indeed, Jesus did return from the dead, then that is the beginning of a dropping of a series of dominoes that takes us to all kinds of wonderful things. It assures an afterlife and all kinds of things that we would all hope are true.” -Hugh Hefner Playboy founder Interview with Lee Strobel

Evidence for Jesus’ Death and Burial Burial recorded in all gospels Joseph of Arimathea petitioned Pilate for body Joseph put Jesus in his own tomb – Sanhedrin member: unlikely that this would be a lie Burial witnessed by close friends Tomb guarded by soldiers Jews never denied that Jesus was dead and buried

“On the eve of Passover Yeshua was hanged … since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover!” – Jewish Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a.

“One of the most certain facts of history is that Jesus was crucified on orders of the Roman prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate.” - Agnostic skeptic Bart Ehrman

“That he [Jesus] was crucified is as sure as anything historical ever can be.” -John Dominic Crossan Liberal Theologian Leader of Jesus Seminar

Evidence for Jesus’ Missing Body Empty tomb viewed by Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Peter and John Jewish leaders devised lie to cover up the resurrection Jewish leaders never refuted claim that the body was gone Non-Christian historians record Christian’s claims of Jesus being alive and the body being gone

The Empty Tomb and the Jerusalem Factor Jesus was publicly executed in Jerusalem and His appearances took place there, and His resurrection was proclaimed there. If the body had still been in the tomb, it would have been very easy to stop Christianity’s message in its origins by simply going to a well-known tomb and producing the body. But that’s not what happened.

Women reported as First Witnesses “But let not the testimony of women be admitted, on account of the levity and boldness of their sex” – Josephus, Antiquities “Any evidence which a woman [gives] is not valid, also they are not valid to offer” – Talmud, Rosh Hashannah 1.8 If the disciples or gospel writers were going to make up a lie that would stick in the first century, they certainly would not have invented the story of women being the first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.

“All the strictly historical evidence we have is in favor of [the empty tomb], and those scholars who reject it ought to recognize that they do so on some other ground that that of scientific history." - William Wand Oxford University Church Historian

Evidence for Jesus’ Appearances Appeared toWhereWhenReferences 1Mary MagdaleneJerusalemSundayMark 6:9-11; John 20: Other WomenJerusalemSundayMatt 28:9-10 3PeterJerusalemSundayLuke 24:32; 1 Cor. 15:5 4Emmaus disciplesEmmausSundayLuke 24:13-35; Mark 16: disciplesJerusalemSundayMark 16:14; Luke 24:26-42; John 20: disciplesJerusalemA week laterJohn 20:26-31; 1 Cor. 15:5 77 disciplesGalilee?John 21: brethrenGalilee?1 Cor. 15:6 9James??1 Cor. 15: disciplesGalilee?Matt 28:16-20; Mark 16: disciplesJerusalem40 days laterActs 1:3-12

Why Believe the Gospels? All Gospels written before A.D. 90 and likely much earlier; Paul’s 1 Corinthians written nearly 15 years after the crucifixion Early writing is important because eyewitnesses can refute error; Paul requested just such a thing in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, where he references 500 witnesses to Christ’s resurrection No case in history of myth entering into a historical account where two generations had not passed

"It is historically certain that Peter and the other disciples had experiences after Jesus' death in which Jesus appeared to them as the risen Christ." -Gerd Ludemann, Atheist Guttingen University, Germany

Why Believe Paul? "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve." (1 Corinthians 15:3-5; A. D. 55)

Evidence for The Disciples Transformed Lives

“Why, then, did some of the disciples claim to see Jesus alive after his crucifixion? I don’t doubt at all that some of the disciples claimed this. We don’t have any of their written testimony, but Paul, writing about twenty-five years later, indicates that this is what they claimed, and I don’t think he is making it up. And he knew at least a couple of them, whom he met just three years after the event.” Bart Ehrman

Evidence for The Disciples Transformed Lives Peter – crucified upside down Andrew – crucified on an X-shaped cross James (disciple) – beheaded by Herod John (disciple) – banished to Patmos; died natural death in Ephesus Thomas – martyred in India James (half-brother of Jesus) – thrown from the top of the temple, then stoned Bartholomew – filleted alive Matthew – killed with sword in Ethiopia Luke – hanged in Greece Matthias – stoned and beheaded Jude – murdered by archers Barnabas – stoned at Salonica Paul – beheaded in Rome * Writings of Origen tell of Peter being crucified upside down and Paul’s martyrdom in Rome by Nero.

“And when [Jesus] came to those with Peter, he said to them: “Take, handle me and see that I am not a bodiles demon.’ And immediately they handled him and believed, having known his flesh and blood. Because of this they also despised death; but beyond death they were found.” -Ignatius Bishop in Antioch Martyred in Rome, A.D. 110

“The disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 where not heading for a spiritual retreat experience; they were leaving town with their tails between their legs mumbling ‘we had hoped [past tense] that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel’ (v. 21) Their actions spoke as loudly as their words: they had abandoned such hope until fate; in the form of an appearance of a stranger, intervened.” -Ben Whitherington III, Jesus the Seer

"For not even His brothers were believing in Him.” (John 7:5) Note: In the first century, it was embarrassing for a Rabbi to have his family not be followers. "then He appeared to James“ (1 Corinthians 15:7) The Transformation Of James “Festus was now dead, and Albius was but upon the raid; so he assembled the Sanhedrin of the judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered him to be stoned” -Josephus Antiquities

" Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison."(Acts 8:1-3) “So, having obtained help from God, I [Paul] stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."(Acts 26:22-23) The Transformation Of Paul

“There is no doubt that Paul believed he saw Jesus’ real but glorified body raised from the dead.” - Bart Ehrman

Foundation for the Undisputed Facts 1.Multiple independent sources support the facts 2.Attestation by enemies of Christianity support the facts 3.Embarrassing admissions support the facts 4.Eyewitness testimony support the facts 5.Early testimony support the facts

Appeal to the Best Explanation So what best explains the resurrection given these facts?

The Resurrection – A Miracle in one of 3 Ways

A Defense of Christ’s Resurrection – Part 1